The Psychodynamic Perspective

What does the psychodynamic perspective assume?

all human behaviour comes from a part of the mind that individuals have no direct awareness of; the unconscious

What does the psychodynamic perspective further believe about childhood?

childhood is a critical period in the development of our behaviour and personality and out behaviour is a result of an interaction between unconscious innate drives (i.e. desire of pleasure) and early experiences (extent to which our early desires were gratified)

How can conflict from our childhood affect us?

any conflicts from our childhood, including traumatic events, are repressed into our subconscious mind but still remain with the adult and will cause them to show unconsciously motivated behaviour as they mature into adulthood

What research methods does the psychodynamic perspective use to research behaviours?

mainly uses the case study method, interviews and observations to investigate this abnormal behaviour = can gain a rich, detailed insight into a person’s behaviour and its subconscious cause

What is the structure of our personality made up from?

The Id, Ego and Superego

What does the Id require/do?

it demands instant gratification

What does the Ego require/do?

seeks to satisfy the demands of the id through socially acceptable channels without offending the superego, the moral guardian of the personality

What does the ego require/do?

uses defence mechanisms to conceal or distort unacceptable impulses, thus preventing them from rising into consciousness

What is the conscious?

the part of the mind we are aware of-everyday thoughts and feelings

What is there preconscious?

Thoughts and memories not accessible at all times, but easily recalled

What is the unconscious?

the deep dark shameful part that contains repressed thoughts, memories and feelings

How does Freud state the three structures of the mind interact in a healthy person?

In a healthy person, the ego is the strongest so that is can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into conscious the reality of every situation

What happens if these areas become too strong?

If the id becomes too strong, desires, impulses and self-gratification will take over the person’s life

If the superego becomes too strong, the person would be driven by rigid morals, would be judgemental and unbending in his or her interactions with the world

What does Freud say will happen if these structures become unbalanced?

it can cause us a lot of anxiety and may eventually lead to mental abnormality such as phobias, depression or OCD

When is the Id present?

at birth

What does our Id involve?

Primary driving force of the id s sexual instinct, which operates in the unconscious

Freud believes the id is based on our pleasure principle

When is the ego present?

age 3

What does our ego involve?

based on the reality principle

the ego understands that other people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run

Freud says its the Ego’s job to maintain an equal balance between the needs of the Id and the Superego

When is the superego present?

age 5

What does the superego involve?

Called the morality principle.

By the age of 5, or the end of the phallic stage of development, the Superego develops

Is the moral part of is and develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our caregivers.

many equate the superego with the conscience as it dictates our belief of right and wrong

What does Freud say about the psychosexual stage of development?

there are a number of stages in childhood, during which the child seeks pleasure from a different ‘object’

To be psychologically healthy, we must successfully complete each stage of development

What does the oral stage involve and when is it present?

Present from 0-15/18 months

Pleasure gained from passively and dependently sucking or swallowing

Successful completion of this stage is demonstrated by weaning = eating independently

What does the anal stage involve and when is it present?

Present from 1-3 years

Pleasure gained from expelling and playing with faeces

Successful completion marked by potty training

What does the phallic stage involve and when is it present?

Present from ages 3-5/6

The libido becomes focused on curiosity and pleasure involving the genitals, which becomes directed towards the opposite sex parent

Boys experience the oedipus complex, girls experience the electra complex

Successful completion of this stage occurs when the boy realised he cannot have his mother so identifies and becomes like his father (this helps him identify his sexual role) to be close to his mother

* girls will do the same but by identifying with their mother and becoming like her into order to learn her sexual role and be indirectly close to her father

What is the electra complex?

a girls psychosexual completion with her mother for possession of her father

What is the oedipus complex?

the complex of emotions aroused in a young child, typically around the age of four, by an unconscious desire for the parent of the opposite sex and wish to exclude the parent of the same sex

What does the latency stage involve and when is it present?

Present around 5 years to puberty

The child’s desires diminish somewhat.

The child directs its attention to cognitive and social development. Sexual urges sublimated into sports and other hobbies

No particular requirements for successful completion

What does the genital stage involve and when is it present?

the final stag of the psychosexual stages as it is present from puberty onwards

Reemergence of libido and directed at love objects outside the family

Task i as to develop healthy adult relationships

This should happen if earlier stages have been negotiated successfully

What is an application of the psychodynamic perspective?

Psychoanalysis = uncovering unconscious conflicts including free association, dream interpretation and hypnosis

What are some strengths of the psychodynamic perspective?

* Useful as it allows psychologists to suggest causes of mental disorders and to suggest why individuals behave in ways they cannot easily explain or understand
* Allows collection of qualitative data
* As case studies are often used by this perspective, an in depth and detailed look at behaviour is often achieved

What are some weaknesses of the psychodynamic perspective?

* Studies which take this approach often use unrepresentative samples
* The methodology may not be objective and therefore open to bias
* The perspective is based on concepts that are difficult to test ands verify scientifically (lacks empirical support)
* Unfalsifiable = difficult to prove wrong
* Ethical concerns may be raised